


Point of View

by Kasen



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Bodyswap, M/M, Slow Burn, Soul Switch
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-10
Updated: 2020-07-27
Packaged: 2021-01-27 01:49:31
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 9,364
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21384103
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kasen/pseuds/Kasen
Summary: A mysterious flash of light in an unknown star system swaps Shiro and Keith's souls. The two, now on a mission to reverse the effects, learn a little more about each other in the process.
Relationships: Keith/Shiro (Voltron)
Comments: 78
Kudos: 155





	1. Chapter 1

Shiro looked down at his hand, confused. There were several things wrong with it, he noted worriedly; sweat forming at his temple and throat constricting with terror as he observed his right appendage. The first and foremost noticeable difference was that he had a right appendage. He curled his fingers into a fist, observing the fingerless glove’s leather stretch over the whitening knuckles. Why was he wearing Keith’s gloves? Where was Keith? Shiro had been standing right behind the other, guiding the Atlas through an unfamiliar star system when a blinding light penetrated the large ship. The Paladins were lounging in the main hull of the Atlas with Shiro and the others, and all let out a cry of shock while shielding their eyes. The last thing Shiro saw on the bridge of his ship was his friends and coworkers turning rigid at the sight of the rapidly incoming ultraviolet rays, and then nothing. When Shiro opened his eyes, he saw only the front of the ship and his miraculous hand. Did the light mess with his atoms? 

“Is everyone alright?” Allura called out. Shiro turned at the sound. How did Allura end up behind him? 

Shiro’s eyes widened at the sight of his friends. The Paladins were now standing behind him. More shocking was that Shiro observed himself standing at the bridge of the Atlas, expression just as confused as he felt. 

“Where’s Shiro?” Shiro asked. 

Shiro immediately understood what happened. He gave himself a quick once-over, confirming his fears. His body was small —well, smaller than his normal one. His clothes were different. They were red and synched at his waist. He brought his hands to his face, cheeks soft and warm, before bringing them to the back of his head, where long, soft hair nestled over his neck. 

Shiro’s eyes made contact with the confused Shiro standing at the bridge of the Atlas. Shiro walked up to his perturbed counterpart, and over the bewildered babbling of his friends, said; “Keith?” 

The Shiro in front of him straightened his posture, eyes wide and jaw slack in puzzlement. And then understanding dawned on him. Shiro approached himself, going up on his tiptoes to look at him over the elevated desk. 

“Keith?” he repeated. 

Shiro nodded. No. Keith nodded. 

“Shiro?” 

“Yeah, it’s me,” he rasped in Keith’s voice. God. What on earth happened? 

“Uh, hold up,” Hunk interrupted. “Did you just call Shiro Keith?” 

“Shiro called Keith Shiro?” Lance added. 

Pidge jumped between the two, already caught up. “Actually, Shiro called Shiro Keith because he’s Keith, not Shiro.” 

“Can I get a map to that sentence?” Hunk asked. 

“Is anyone else in the wrong body?” Pidge called out to the Atlas crew, ignoring her friend. Everyone slowly shook their heads, confused but whole. 

“Looks like it’s just you two,” she concluded. 

“Pidge?” Allura asked. “What is going on?” 

“I think we switched bodies,” Keith explained with Shiro’s voice. God this was strange. 

“Oh dear...” Allura whispered, eyes jumping between the two. 

“Is this reversable?” Shiro asked. 

Allura and Pidge exchanged a worried glance. 

“We’ll have to look into this,” Pidge admitted. Shiro didn’t like the sound of that. 

“Coran?” He croaked. “Would you happen to know anything about this?” 

“I might,” he admitted while twisting his mustache. “I would have to refer to an old video of my own, if I'm being completely honest with you. It’s been deca-phoebs since learning about this soul-switching phenomenon.” 

“We’re fucked,” Keith whispered. Shiro shot his friend a look and hissed  _ "No swearing in my body.” _

The statement made both stiffen at the same time. 

Holy shit. 

They had switched bodies. 

“Maybe we should land...” Shiro suggested weakly. “We might have to stay in proximity to that strange flash if there’s any chance of reversing this.” 

“A nearby planet might have the answers to what we’re looking for,” Allura agreed. 

“Then it’s settled,” Keith said with a nod. Everyone looked up at him, waiting for his orders. 

“Uh,” Shiro said as he walked around his friends to join Keith at the bridge. “Veronica, run a scan and locate the nearest planet. We’ll get close and check for intelligent life. Iverson, put our shields up just to be safe. A second wave of exposure to that strange ray of light might cause more harm than good. Sam, did you save the data received from the emissions?” 

“I did. The wavelengths are nothing I’ve seen before—” 

“Neither have  _ I! _ We might be  _ dying _ in this reality,” Slav interrupted. Shiro immediately felt his blood pressure rise at the sound of the alien’s voice. 

“We’re not dying,” he said through gritted teeth. “We’ll analyze the data and see if the anomaly is reversible.” 

Keith put a hand on Shiro’s shoulder and squeezed. Shiro jolted at the strong grip, and looked up at himself. 

“This is weird, but we’ll figure it out,” Keith said. Shiro nodded and shot his friend a wry smile. 

“Wow. You actually make me look decent when I smile,” Keith mumbled. 

“You’re decent.”  _ More than decent. _

“According to Lance I look—” 

“Constipated,” Lance chimed in. “So, Shiro. Since you’re in Keith’s body, will you be flying Black? Will she recognize you?” 

“I’m not sure...” Shiro trailed off. It was an excellent question. Would the Lion recognize Keith’s body or his soul? It also raised the question of;  _ what if this is irreversible and we’re stuck like this forever?! _

“—I can’t lead the Atlas, Shiro,” Keith jumped in, his horrified expression prominent on Shiro’s physical features. 

“Sure you can,” Shiro assured him while disguising his own internalized fears. “You can pilot anything.” 

Keith looked unsure, which again, was extremely strange seeing reflected on his face. This was nothing like looking at a mirror or watching a video of himself. Shiro was not in control of his body. He saw parts of himself that he had never seen before. He had a small mole tucked behind his left ear and three more dark specs prominent along the back of his neck. There was a tiny scar near the hairline as well, pale and indistinguishable from his white hairs unless you were looking right at it. 

“This is so weird,” Shiro said as he brushed his own neck. Keith jumped and let out a startled noise, which earned a chuckle from Shiro. And then the laugh died in his throat at the sight of himself flushing violently. Shiro took a step back and raised his palms apologetically, knowing his body too well to know what had just happened. Shiro only turned beet red when he was drunk, pissed off, or... 

“Sir?” Veronica called. “We’ve located a planet not too far from here. Shouldn’t take more than half a day at the pace we’re going.” 

“Are we locked in?” Keith asked in Shiro’s voice. 

“Yes—” 

Keith slammed his floating bionic arm on the dashboard, somehow instinctively knowing how to activate the Atlas’ hyperdrive immediately. The Paladins yelled and cursed Keith while holding onto each other and whatever part of the cockpit they could to prevent themselves from flying back and slamming against the door of the bridge. 

Shiro was smart enough to grab the main dashboard of the command desk, and carefully observed Keith’s full-body blush. 

_ Oh dear. _

*** 

Landing at the planet was a smart move and proved to be very helpful. The residents in the nearby village knew exactly what had occurred between Shiro and Keith, and to everyone’s relief, confirmed that it was reversable. Despite the team being offered accommodations on the planet, only the Atlas crew and MFE pilots accepted the invite, new to exploring their galaxy and embracing every opportunity to learn a little more. The Paladins chose to stay back in the ship, hovering by Pidge and Allura as the two discussed what they had learned earlier. 

“Luckily, it seems to be reversable through time itself,” Allura paraphrased, her eyes glowing with Altean magic as she pressed a palm to Keith’s chest. Shiro squirmed under the touch. They had discussed if Allura could use her powers the same way she did when returning Shiro’s consciousness to his clone’s body, and “I’d rather not risk it, if I’m being honest,” was her response. 

“The issue is how  _ much _ time has to pass,” Pidge reminded her. “They said three years tops.” 

“That’s a lot of time,” Shiro admitted in Keith’s raspy voice. Would he ever grow accustomed to it? Maybe in three years, which wasn’t ideal. “And I agree with Allura. I don’t want to risk anything bad happening to you,” Shiro said while looking at Keith. 

“To  _ us,” _ Keith corrected, his cheeks turning rosy at the claim. 

“So our best bet is the other option,” Shiro concluded, playing oblivious to the sight before him. He could read his own tells as bright as day, and it was a little overwhelming. He stored away what he saw in the back of his mind, convincing himself to come back to it later. 

Everyone hovering around the two nodded at Shiro’s claim. The alien villagers explained the weird phenomena as a confusion between atoms and a unity between souls. The longer two knew each other; the closer they were; and the more they experienced together, both physically and emotionally, than the more likely for the unknown flash to confuse their consciousness with each other’s atoms. It happened once every few turns of their planet’s moon. The planet’s placement during this time lined up perfectly with another’s, in which a pulse of its core shot out, scrambling souls caught in the crossfire —in Coran’s words. The villagers explained the quick fix as simply returning to a place of sentiment. Going to an area where one’s bond deepened. In doing so, one’s emotions are expressed in the correct perspective and reverts the owner of those memories back to their original body. 

“We’re going back to Earth already?” Hunk asked, disappointment evident in his tone. 

Shiro and Keith exchanged looks. 

“We can take Black,” Shiro suggested. “Allura, if you can wormhole us to Earth and back, we won’t have to lose our place in this star system.” 

“Very good point Keith, er— Shiro. I’ll send you two off tomorrow morning.” 

“Shouldn’t we stick together?” Keith asked. 

“We’ll be fine,” Shiro assured him. Keith opened his mouth to say something, but was immediately interrupted by their friend. 

“Great! Now that that’s settled,” Lance said while wrapping an arm around Keith’s shoulder —the sight of Lance on his tiptoes acting buddy-buddy with Shiro extremely out of place and henceforth comical. “Keith, you can finally settle a bet we’ve got going on.” 

“Oh man,” Hunk chuckled while rubbing his palms together. “Yes. I’ve wanted to know the answer to this for months!” 

“Answer to what?” Shiro asked, palms growing sweaty. Huh. That was interesting. Shiro looked down at Keith’s hands despite the gloves blocking the view. They felt clammy. Is that why Keith always insisted on wearing them? Shiro never had a chance to ask. He looked up in time to see Keith lift his shirt and tug down the front of his pants, revealing a great bit of his lower stomach. 

“Keith?!” Shiro yelped in shock, dashing forward to pull down his shirt. 

“It matches,” Keith claimed evenly despite his burning cheeks. A burst of cheering exploded around them as money was exchanged among the other Paladins. 

“You bet on the colour of my pubes?” Shiro hissed at his friend. Keith smirked and nodded. 

“Are you mad?” 

“No. Just don’t look down any fur—” It was in that moment that Shiro realized a very crucial detail regarding their current situation. 

They were going to learn about each other’s bodies far more intimately than ever before. 

Keith paled, reaching the same conclusion Shiro did. 

“We don’t talk about this,  _ ever.”  _ Shiro hissed, the demand accented by him yanking his shirt back down over his stomach, praying Keith can’t read his thoughts, which immediately went to what it would be like taking a shower in Keith’s body. 

Keith nodded rapidly, eyes wide. 

“Shall we call it a night early, then?” Allura offered after Lance made his fair share of carpet and drape jokes in the matter of seconds. 

“Yeah,” Shiro agreed while wiping his sweaty palms on his pants. 

“They do that,” Keith croaked at the sight. “Do we switch rooms?” He asked right after, not giving Shiro time to discuss his hyperhidrosis. 

It was probably meant to be a joke, but Shiro shrugged as he considered his friend’s question seriously. There weren’t that many material possessions in his room that screamed  _ Shiro _ quite yet. He had planned to decorate it more, but his other duties took precedence. He wouldn’t really notice if he was in his own room versus Keith’s, who was a minimalist in general and whose room in the Atlas looked almost identical to Shiro’s. 

“You decide. I don’t mind either way.” 

“Let’s stick to our own rooms for now,” Keith decided after a beat. “We’ll probably wake up in the morning forgetting all of this ever happened —at least for a sec.” Shiro chuckled at that, and observed his own face smiling gently back at him. “Being in our own beds will make it feel somewhat normal for the time being.” 

Shiro nodded and look at the rest of the Paladins. “We’ll set a course for Earth tomorrow. The sooner Keith and I get back into our bodies, the better. 

The group of friends agreed, and soon everyone bid each other a good night and headed to their respective beds. 

*** 

Shiro stared at himself in the full body mirror for a ridiculously long time. He had looked at Keith plenty of times in the past, but now he didn’t need to sneak a glance or hastily avert his gaze if Keith —or anyone else for that matter— caught him staring. Keith’s body was peppered in scars Shiro had no idea about. His cheek harbored the most obvious of them all, and the most painful to see on a daily basis, but besides that, Shiro had only been aware of the scar on his right shoulder seeping down towards his collar bone. What he didn’t realize was how many more cuts and lacerations covered his torso. Keith's body wasn’t nearly as messed up as what Shiro’s had been after the Gladiator Pit, but compared to his current body, Keith’s was far more worn and torn. 

Shiro scowled as he stared at his reflection a little longer, knowing he was buying time. There was something he was supposed to do before bed that he couldn’t bring himself to initiate. 

He was supposed to take a shower. 

_ Just close your eyes, Shiro. _ He had said the same thing to himself when he needed to pee earlier that evening, and it sort of worked. 

Sort of. 

What was interesting from  _ that _ experience was that, in his embarrassment, Shiro’s skin didn’t flush in Keith’s body the way he would in his own. He felt a bead of sweat form on his temple and moisture develop along the palm of his hands, but his cheeks didn’t seem any darker despite the heat rising to it. 

It seemed to take a lot to make Keith blush. 

It was a strange thing to notice. Shiro knew as much when he first realized it, but the inappropriateness of his priorities did not stop him from thinking about it. Shiro’s own body was undeniably easy to read. His face turned red for a number of reasons. If he was frustrated, angry, drunk, embarrassed, aroused... you name it, Shiro’s cheeks most likely turned a staggering shade of tomato red. But with Keith it was very different. His body ran hot. It was almost like his skin was used to his blood circulating at inopportune moments and didn’t give anything away. Instead, Keith would sweat. His forehead, the back of his neck, above the lips, on his palms... Keith’s tell was easy to hide because of his suit and helmet’s ventilation along with his stoic demeanor. 

But in Shiro’s body... 

_ Stop thinking about it. _

Shiro knew he was entering dangerous territory. He would have to ignore whatever Keith blushed at until they could return to Earth and switch back. He would respect Keith’s secrets... he would pretend he couldn’t read the other’s feelings. He would  _ fucking shower and go to sleep. _

Shiro didn’t waste any more time. He entered his bathroom after scouring his drawers for appropriately fitting clothing and stepped out of the ones he wore. After stepping in and turning on the shower, Shiro closed his eyes and let the warm water lull him into a false sense of comfort. It was easier pretending he was in his own body this way. The only real difference was the presence of two flesh arms. And  _ very _ long locks of hair. When wet, Shiro’s hair fell heavy on his shoulders. He wasn’t foreign to the sensation, and yet it felt different. Keith’s hair was thicker and more tangled than Shiro’s after he washed out the shampoo. Shiro put a generous amount of conditioner into the palm of his hands and combed it through the bottom strands, making sure to coat as many thick locks as possible. While letting it sit, he grabbed the soap and lathered it across his chest, his arms, down his stomach, and wherever he could reach on his back. Shiro couldn’t bring himself to go lower than his naval. He let the suds fall down his thighs, and realized that the purpose of not washing himself there was defeated when he stared at it anyways. 

_ Messed up, _ Shiro thought with a sigh. He rubbed more soap on his hands and delicately cleaned Keith’s junk.  _ This is messed up. _ He tried to make the act as mechanical as possible. Rub soap along the shaft, get the coarse hairs at the base, make sure not to miss the skin under the balls... working towards his taint... Shiro worked quickly with clenched teeth and rinsed himself. He shoved the soap back in its place and spun around to wash out the conditioner sitting in his hair. 

His body was searing. As he stepped out of the shower, he wondered if his cheeks finally reflected the heat he felt rising to them. Shiro wiped a hand along the foggy glass of the mirror, and gave his stuttering brain a moment to understand that it was looking at the right person. Shiro inched closer to look at Keith’s face, and yet it seemed just as flushed as the rest of his body after coming out of the shower. 

_ Stop obsessing over it, _ Shiro chided himself. He toweled the rest of his body, threw on the clothes he picked for Keith’s body, and launched himself onto his bed face first. Shiro exhaled deeply and turned to lie on his back. He interlocked his fingers and placed them gently over his stomach while staring up at the ceiling, wondering how much better Keith was fairing.


	2. Chapter 2

Shiro’s cock was huge. 

It was all Keith could think about and he hated it. He trudged into his room that night and sat on his bed, wondering if Shiro would mind him showering in his body. Probably not, right? Even if they left for Earth the next day, even if Allura could wormhole them to their destination in the matter of minutes, even if they returned to their bodies almost immediately after stepping foot onto their planet, Shiro probably preferred the oils being washed out of his hair and the dirt scrubbed from the surface of his skin. Right? 

He’d appreciate Keith maintaining his cleanliness,  _ right?  _

It was a stupid question to ask. Obviously Shiro wouldn’t mind. They were best friends. They’ve seen each other at their most vulnerable. Shiro wouldn’t care. Their situation was too dire to worry about modesty. 

But Keith could barely strip Shiro’s shirt before the dizziness settled over him. He had never felt such a strong reaction before. He sat himself back down onto his mattress and practiced his breathing to settle himself. He stared at the full body mirror across from his bed, and blanched at his searing face. Why on earth was he blushing so profusely? 

_ You can’t hide your feelings in this body, _ a horrible, dark voice revealed to him. It was the same voice that constantly reminded Keith that being  _ friends _ and  _ brothers _ were the last thing he wanted from Shiro —and that harassed him most nights if was given a chance to mull over it. 

_ “Fuck,”  _ Keith breathed, knowing it wouldn’t get any better. He had dreamed about seeing parts of Shiro he was about to reveal to himself without consent. He had fantasized about the thick member currently sitting heavy between his legs, tucked slightly to one side and resting with what he could only guess was familiarity against the inner thigh. 

Keith opted not to shower. He’d hold in his pee too. He’d endure whatever he had to in fear of doing something obscene. He’d focus all his self-control to preserve the title of Shiro’s best friend. 

*** 

“Keith? Can we talk?” 

Keith choked on the piece of toast he was chewing, startled by the sound of his own voice speaking to him. He turned to face himself, dark eyes glinting with worry. 

“What’s up?” Keith croaked. 

“I... you look rough,” Shiro mentioned. Keith’s shoulders drooped at the declaration. He cast his eyes downwards, ashamed. 

“Sorry Shiro. I just... I didn’t know how to...” Keith trailed off. He was uncomfortable because he was pushing Shiro’s bladder to its limits, and he knew his hair sagged more than usual, greasy and unruly due to a lack of understanding regarding the other’s morning routine. 

“Can we talk in private for a second?” 

Keith glanced up and caught the other Paladins at the table eyeing them curiously. He had no choice. Keith got up from his seat, cursed when his knees hit the table, unaccustomed to Shiro’s height, and followed closely behind the other, rigid and stiff with each step he took. 

Once they were in Shiro’s office, a few rooms away from the bridge of the Atlas, tucked in the end of an L-shaped hall, Shiro turned to Keith and fell back into his desk chair with a heavy sigh. 

“I realized last night, and this morning too, that we need to set some ground rules.” 

Keith nodded rapidly, not trusting himself to speak. Was Shiro suffering from the same struggles as he was? Or did he notice how badly Keith was taking care of his body and kindly hinting at his friend to get his act together. 

“Okay, let’s get the most basic yet embarrassing shit off the table first,” Shiro said after a moment. It was a little ridiculous seeing Keith’s body seated in the commander’s chair. It was also ridiculous hearing him swear. It took a lot to get Shiro saying anything worse than the occasional “crap” or “damn”. The only reason why it didn’t sound jarring was because it was in Keith’s voice. That —and the fact that Keith had been with Shiro long enough to witness some of his rare slip-ups. 

“Like what?” Keith croaked. The conversation went from terrifying to heinous in the matter of seconds and they had yet to hit the first topic. 

“I realize now that I shouldn’t have done this without permission but...” 

Keith’s heart was beating a mile a minute. What was Shiro going to say? What did he do while in his body? 

“I showered.” 

Keith blinked. He didn’t know what to do with that information, hence his barked laugh turning into a frustrated groan. 

“That’s fine Shiro, fuck. And I obviously haven’t,” he said while gesturing to his  _ very large _ body. “Have you peed?” 

“Yeah.” 

“Have you... gone number two...?” 

“No,” Shiro croaked. “God Keith, this is so...” 

“Fucked up?” 

Shiro buried his hands into his face for a moment, then straightened his posture a beat later. Keith didn’t miss the other wiping his palms on his pants. He was most like sweating profusely under these circumstances. In fact, Keith would be surprised he wasn’t. He felt the heat crawling under his skin, and yet there was no perspiration following the sensation. 

“Yeah. It’s fucked up. We need some ground rules, starting with hygiene.” 

Keith nodded slowly. 

“I should have asked you last night, but is it alright if I… uh… take care of your body?” 

Keith wanted to crawl into a hole and die. This was the worst conversation he had ever had with Shiro. 

“Yeah,” he squawked instead. “Of course.” 

“Okay. Cool.” 

Not cool. Nothing about this was cool. Shiro might be able to gain control of a sticky situation, but he was bad at hiding his discomfort and frustration. 

“Just…” Shiro said after a moment, breaking Keith away from his thoughts. One glance made him realize Shiro was squirming in his seat, waiting to give the same consent. “Just treat my body like it’s yours,” he said when Keith couldn’t find it in himself to ask. 

“Okay,” Keith nodded. Normally in these situations his voice would crack. And it did, but only when Shiro spoke. If Keith had anything going for him, it was that he could disguise his terror with Shiro’s calming and controlled vocal cords. “Is there anything I should know about your body?” 

Keith watched his eyes widen and face pale. This was nothing like looking in a mirror. 

“M-my body? Why? I mean, what do you want to know?” 

Keith shrugged. His voice came out steady despite the dizziness he felt. Was Shiro’s blood sugar low? Even though Keith ate a decent amount of breakfast before Shiro pulled him away, his body felt faint. Feeling light-headed, he leaned against Shiro’s desk. Keith crossed his arms, forgot the floating one didn’t join at the elbow, making his left hand phase through, and opted to awkwardly glue his arms to his sides instead. 

Shiro snorted at the sight. “Well I guess we can start with the arm.” 

Thank goodness for Shiro’s segue. Keith knew it was the smoothest he’d ever witness himself act. Had it not been for Shiro in possession of his body, Keith was certain he’d be sweating buckets throughout their entire conversation. 

“Let me think... what do you need to know... Oh!” 

Keith jumped at the sound of his own voice. Enthusiastic and chipper seemed foreign on his features, and yet Shiro seemed to pull it off regardless. 

“As I’m sure you know, you can control it pretty much the same way you control your regular arm. Just think it and it does it. The movements are usually involuntary, but you can control it with your mind too. Here look —high-five!” 

Keith automatically brought both his hands up to slap Shiro’s. 

“Down low!” 

“What are we doing?” Keith laughed despite following along. 

“Now grab me that book without moving!” 

“Uh... What?” 

“Grab this book,” Shiro instructed as he walked away from Keith to point at a novel shelved at the top of his bookshelf. 

Keith knew what Shiro was asking him to do, but the act was a little more difficult. 

“It’s hard to explain, but you just have to feel it,” Shiro commented when Keith outstretched his right arm. It didn’t budge past where a regular person’s arm would. “This is where you have to remember that it’s not actually your arm. Once your brain makes that connection, you can  _ slowly... _ There! You’re doing it!” 

Keith’s brows were furrowed in concentration. He understood what Shiro meant by hard to explain. Making his arm extend beyond its average range felt like piloting Red or Black for the first time. It felt like he was using a different part of his brain. 

“You’ll be able to control it soon enough. It’s no different from controlling your Galra side—” 

“I can’t control that,” Keith chipped in while carefully selecting the book Shiro pointed at. 

“What?”

“Don’t worry, it shouldn’t pop up unless you’re under extremely stressful situations.” 

“Keith... We’re always under extremely stressful situations.” 

“Oh yeah,” Keith croaked as he observed his arm slowly retract to him now holding the novel of Shiro’s choice in his bionic hand. “Well apparently it’s like controlling your arm, so don’t worry.” 

Shiro trotted four steps across his office to pull Keith into a headlock. To the outsider, it might have been comical witnessing the smaller of the two men noogie the other, but Keith’s body was strong and Shiro used it to bring Keith down to his level. 

“Ahhaa okay! I got it, I got it! Stop before your old timer hair starts falling out!” 

Shiro dug his knuckles harder into Keith’s skull as he ruined his white mop of hair. 

“This reminds me,” Shiro mentioned, giving up when Keith straightened his posture to escape from his hold. “I need to show you what I do with my hair.” 

Keith nodded in agreement. “And I need to show you how to do mine.” 

“I thought you just let it do its thing?” 

“Nevermind. You’ll master me in a day.” 

“I’ll …?” Shiro’s voice went shrill —even to Keith’s standards; and Keith  _ knows  _ how high his voice goes. Shiro hastily cleared his throat as he busied himself with taking his book out of Keith’s hand and replacing it on his bookshelf. “I mean. I’ll do my best to maintain your... body...” 

“God,” Keith groaned in despair. “Is there any way we can make this even a little less awkward?” 

“Afraid not,” Shiro replied with a wry smile. “Oh, by the way about the arm, before I forget —you can power it down at night so the light doesn’t bother you.” It was terribly choppy way of changing the subject, but it worked. 

“Please tell me there’s a switch for that,” Keith hissed, recalling the restless night and not entirely realizing how many small obstacles Shiro’s prosthetic presented. Keith had assumed it felt and acted as a normal arm, but now he knew Shiro only made it seem that way. The arm was still missing —there was a phantom sensation of a limb that existed beyond the shoulder where in reality was nothing. Even when Keith used it as he would his left, the lack of feeling had him feeling off balance. It made him wonder if Shiro had gotten used to it, or if it was something he battled with every day; a small irritation, almost like an itch, that he would have to live with for the rest of his life. 

All because an evil empire caught poor Shiro when he was at the wrong place at the wrong time. 

“Unfortunately, no,” Shiro laughed, pulling Keith away from his thoughts. Keith unclenched his jaw and listened to Shiro. “But you can do what I did for the first week...” 

“What’s that?” 

“Duct tape it down with a few hundred layers until you pass out.” 

“Hahaha.... okay Shiro, funny. But seriously.” 

“I’m serious.” 

Keith blinked. 

Shiro rummaged through a desk drawer until he pulled out a roll and threw it in his direction. Keith barely caught it, his reaction time just as quick in the other’s body, but a little disoriented with the size difference. 

“You... taped your shoulder to sleep...” 

“Since you’re a little protégée, I don’t think you’ll have the same issues I did.” 

Keith could feel his face flush at the old nickname. How long had it been since Shiro called him a protégée? He was certain the other used to do it in the past to boost teenage-Keith’s shitty self-esteem (and honestly it did work a little), but he didn’t think there was legitimacy behind the claim. 

“Shut up,” Keith scoffed, having nothing of substance to add. “Anything else I should know about your —about you,” Keith veered, not sure how many more times he could talk about Shiro’s body and the secret quirks most people didn’t know about. 

“Uhh... stay away from dairy?” 

“That’s... yeah no, that’s important.” 

Keith and Shiro found themselves hovering around Shiro’s desk, both messily scribbling down anything they claimed important. Allergies, general discomforts, foods to avoid,  _ people _ to avoid. 

“Avoid eye-contact; ALWAYS....” Shiro read out loud. “Keith, what did you do to sergeant Dos Santos? He’s such a kind man...” Shiro whispered as he eyed Keith’s list. 

“Looks can be deceiving. Also, I might have been a little aggressive with him in class.” 

“That was years ago, I’m sure he’d forgive you now.” 

“No, this was recent...” 

“Why?” Shiro laughed. Keith was glad Shiro was more amused than disappointed. At least, it  _ seemed _ like he was amused. Keith had never tried reading his own facial expressions before, and wondered if he was as transparent as Shiro was making him out to be. 

“He said something,” Keith shrugged. “I don’t remember what, I just remember walking by the class, hearing it, and it pissing me off, so I happened to confront him about it.” 

“You really don’t remember?” 

_ He was talking shit about you. _

Keith would never admit this to Shiro in fear of the news hurting his feelings, so he shrugged instead. He didn’t need the other to know that his tragically unfortunate set of circumstances was used in a class as a “ _ What not to do” _ lesson. It was a sick joke and Keith would have socked the instructor in the face if Space Wolf hadn’t teleported him away.

“Alright, well... I’ll avoid your hitlist,” Shiro chuckled.

“It’s not a hitlist!” 

_ “Lance  _ is on it.” 

“So? I’m doing you a favour by telling you to avoid him.” 

Just then, the sound of a loud beeping caught both men’s attention. 

“Shiro? Shiro are you there?” 

Shiro ran around his desk to answer the call. 

“Allura? Whats up?” 

“Keith, grab Shiro for a seco— oh right. Shiro, apologies!” Allura laughed. “I wanted to discuss timing with regards to sending you two back to Earth.” 

“Of course. We’ll be down soon.” 

“No need for you both, Shiro. I’m sure Keith can make himself busy while we discuss. It shouldn’t take more than a couple ticks.” 

“Sure...?” Shiro drawled out, sounding confused. 

“Meet you at the bridge.” Allura’s face disappeared from the hologram. 

“I’ll get Black prepped,” Keith offered. “Since we’re getting teleported there and back, I don’t think it’ll take too long, but I’ll make sure our supplies are restocked.” 

“Good, yeah. Do that. I’ll come help when I can.” 

Keith nodded, grabbed the paper Shiro scribbled on with things to know about his body, and left the office hastily. Their discussion was much needed, and he was relieved it ended on the neutral conversation that it did. He would take care of resupplying their ship and hopefully he and Shiro would be on their way to Earth, and back in their own bodies soon.

Until then, Keith made a beeline for the bathroom. He needed to relieve Shiro’s bladder before he accidentally gave his friend an infection.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Good luck Keith...


	3. Chapter 3

Something didn’t sit well with Shiro, and he wasn’t sure why. When he entered the main bridge of the Atlas, besides the Paladins, no one seemed to notice his presence. It was only when Allura called out his name that everyone turned, attentive. 

“Given that it’s rolling into the Earth’s night, I was wondering if you wanted to leave now or wait until it becomes their morning?”

“The sooner we leave the better.”

“I figured you’d say that,” Allura nodded. “However might I suggest wormholing you and Keith a bit further away from Earth so that you can travel the rest of the distance at your leisure and nap for however long you two deem appropriate?”

Shiro wanted to ask Keith for his opinion, but part of him knew the other would shrug and roll with whatever was suggested. 

“Even lying down and resting your eyes for a few hours will assist you with adjusting to the time change.” 

“That seems fine,” Shiro agreed. “Though it might be better to experience some jetlag in the name of switching back to our original bodies as soon as possible.” 

“The reason why I suggest this,” Allura says more quietly, gaze focused on Shiro. “Is to test a hypothesis of mine. I believe sharing the space of the Black Lion, and familiar quarters such as the bedroom, might assist with the process of switching back to your rightful bodies. The Black Lion holds both a memory and physical space that you both share, which coincides with what the villagers offered as a solution.”

Oh.

“Oh,” Shiro says dumbly. Yeah, that would be a good theory to test, wouldn’t it? He and Keith could nap, potential wake up back in their rightful bodies, and make a U-turn before Earth even knew they were approaching.

“Sure,” Shiro says in what he hopes is an even tone. “Let’s test your hypothesis.”

“Whenever you’re prepared, let me know.” 

“Thanks,” Shiro nodded. Without another word, aside from a polite _ excuse _ _ me, _ Shiro trotted off towards the Black Lion’s bunker. 

*** 

As expected, Shiro’s summary of his discussion with Allura was met with an indifferent shrug from Keith. 

“Nap time sounds fun,” Keith added with a charming smile. Shiro huffed in agreement. The morning felt like it had dragged on for hours. 

“Need any help?” 

“I think she’s all set,” Keith sat while patting Black’s dashboard. The controls were on, and the Lion was humming with anticipation. Shiro joined Keith and dragged his hand along the controls. Shiro perked at the sensation. 

“Hey, have you noticed that she feels... the _ same?” _

“What do you mean?” Keith inquired. His eyes followed Shiro’s gloved hands hovering over the holoscreen in front of him. The readings showed that everything was in order, but more than that, Black _ felt _ in order. She was raring to go. 

“She’s talking to me the same as she always did, even though I’m not in my body. Does she feel different to you?” 

“No? I wouldn’t have been able to load in our supplies and start her up if she didn’t recognize me.” Keith contemplated. “I think she’d respond to either one of us the same.” 

The thought never occurred to Shiro. He always assumed Black’s connection with him was severed when Allura pulled him out of her consciousness. He knew Black responded to his clone, but he theorized that she overlooked the brief flashes of Haggar taking over; the confusion and fear he felt, due to his body being anatomically identical —that, and because she was desperate for a Paladin. He felt her familiar hum when he rode with Keith and Krolia on their way back to earth, and dismissed it at the time as Black recognizing him as a comrade, not her Paladin. 

“She knows who she likes,” Keith smiled. The statement was very simple, and yet it hadn’t dawned on Shiro until just then. 

“I guess I was too distracted to notice,” Shiro mumbled solemnly. 

“You’ve had a lot on your mind,” Keith said gently. He squeezed Shiro’s shoulder, which made Shiro instinctively straighten his posture. 

“Maybe,” he croaked. God, what was his voice doing? Keith quirked a brow but didn’t address it. He gave Shiro’s shoulder one more squeeze and resumed powering up Black. 

Shiro sat back and let Keith do his thing. He always admired how Keith just seemed to know what to do. There was never any hesitation in his movements. There was no pausing to think; no stopping to ask others for their opinion. Only in a team situation —only when other people were involved and would be affected by his decision did he ever look for their feedback. 

“Do you want to fly her?” he asked after a moment. Shiro jolted at the question. Yes, he did. So bad did he want to soar through space with Black again. But he had passed her off to Keith. Right body or not, it wasn’t his place to reclaim the pilot seat. 

As quickly as Shiro had the thought did a steady vibration drum through his veins. It felt... _ bitter? _

_ “Oooh, _ she’s angry. What did you think just then?” 

Shiro babbled incomprehensibly. Was his and Black’s bond still this strong? If it weren’t for Keith confirming that he felt her mood shift the same time he did, Shiro would immediately assume Black just confused him for Keith due to their souls switching. 

“N-nothing?” he eventually replied. 

“Sure,” Keith teased. He checked the readings popping up in front of him and nodded, satisfied. “Alright. Take it away.” 

Keith stood and gestured for Shiro to sit. Shiro’s palms clammed up immediately, and this time he was expecting it. 

“Allura?” Shiro called as he activated the teleconference within the holographic dashboard. 

“I’m here,” she answered after a moment. “Are you all set?” 

Shiro looked to Keith, who nodded. 

“Yes.” 

“Alright. There’s no time limit for you two. I’ll wormhole you close to Earth and close it. Just give us the word when you’re ready to head back.” 

“Understood.” 

“Hold on,” Keith said, leaning into the screen so Allura can see his face. “What will you guys be doing?” 

Allura raised her brow at the question. “Well I suppose monitor the area and await your call back into action.” 

“What action?” Keith whispered so that only Shiro could catch his words. “I think it’s risky staying in that star system when we have little idea how to protect ourselves from that soul-switching flare.” Keith said to Allura. 

“I’ve asked the locals. It’s a normal occurrence. Even if it scrambles one of us, I’m sure we can fix it.” Hunk pitched in. His face popped up in a separate screen, covered in oil-slick. He was undoubtedly in the middle of repairing the damaged hull of the Atlas, which suffered a few scratches from an overzealous group of space pirates Shiro insisted his crew allow onto the ship so he could give them a good talking to about their criminal activities. Nobody questioned his decision, even if it meant putting in a bit of extra work after to ensure that whatever became damaged was fixed. Only Keith squinted at Shiro, skeptical about his order, and whispered that they should just take a lion out to intercept them._ You can spar in the training deck later if you needed to unwind, _ he whispered to his friend. Shiro sputtered, saying he wanted to convince the criminals to change their ways; not fight someone. Luckily for Shiro, he had the majority of votes, with Pidge, Hunk and Coran backing him up with the promise that the worst they could do would be a mere scratch to the ship. 

Shiro knew Keith was right. Shiro knew Keith read him like an open book, and he _ knew _ he should have listened to the other, and yet he didn’t. 

“We can’t always rely on guesses and hopes,” Keith scowled. “You guys should leave the area.” 

“And do what?” Lance argued, face next to Allura’s. 

“Make your way towards Earth,” Keith decided. “You can take to Atlas and check back with the coalition reserves on a few of the planets on your way back. There’s a BoM base in the next system too, ask if they need a hand with anything. At least that way, once Shiro and I return back to normal, we can meet up in familiar territory.” 

Their friends seemed to contemplate the suggestion, which made Shiro sit a little straighter. 

“I agree with Keith. The native residence might be accustomed to this... flare’s effects, but we’re not. Keith and I will try and undo _ this,” _ he said while gesturing between himself and Keith. “—but that’s not to say it’ll go smoothly. And we should always be prepared for the worst. The closer you guys are to us, the safer we’ll both feel.” 

Allura was the first to nod, followed by Hunk. 

“If Shiro thinks it’s better this way...” 

Shiro fought the urge to roll his eyes. Was that a Keith thing? Probably not since it was his thoughts that controlled his body. As far as he knew, eye-rolling was not a genetic trait which presented itself in Keith’s genes, and yet Shiro had never felt the urge to roll his eyes as frequently as he did before switching bodies. 

“I trust Keith,” is all he said. He didn’t see the other’s expression, but he felt Keith stand up straighter beside him. 

“Well then, we’ll head back.” 

For some reason, Shiro felt a little frustrated. Not understanding why, he nodded at his friends and discussed the logistics of their plan. Once everyone agreed on a timeline, Shiro piloted Black out of the Atlas’ hangar and hovered in front of the large ship. Allura’s wormhole was present within seconds of Shiro giving her the go-ahead. Without wasting another moment, he guided the Lion into the ripple and allowed himself a moment to get accustomed to the change in scenery. As he navigated through some asteroids, Keith made himself busy by confirming with Allura that they made it through, wishing his friends well, ending the call, and pulling up a map and radar of their solar system. 

“Once we’re out of this belt we can have Black coast,” Keith mentioned. 

“Yeah,” Shiro murmured distractedly. “Umm... Keith?” 

“What’s up?” Keith asked, eyebrow raised and eyes scanning ahead for trouble. “See something?” 

“No, no. Just wondering if you were actually going to nap.” 

Keith scoffed. “You bet your ass I’m going to sleep in the middle of the day. She’s good to go, by the way,” he added after setting the ship’s coordinates to Earth. 

“Thanks,” Shiro smiled. It was nice flying Black, even if for a little bit. He set the ship to autopilot and stood from his chair, unsure how to proceed with his next question. 

“I’m assuming you’ll be taking the bed?” 

“Yeah right. I’m taking the cot,” Keith answered as he left the room. Shiro sputtered and followed the other away from the control deck. 

“It’s _ your _ bed.” 

“No it’s not? It was yours first!” 

“Yeah but it’s yours now! I’m taking the cot.” 

And suddenly it was a race down the hall and towards the singular bedroom. Shiro and Keith elbowed and shoved each other, and Shiro, who now had a smaller frame and nibble feet, beat Keith to the cot by swerving around the door and jumping onto the smaller bed. Keith cursed at his friend and kicked his waist, which made Shiro flinch violently. 

“Hey!” 

“The good thing—” Keith kicked Shiro again mid-sentence. “—is that I know all your weak spots.” 

Shiro wheezed and doubled over on the cot. He had no idea Keith’s sides were so sensitive. “Okay, okay!” he pleaded while kicking Keith’s foot away. It didn’t help Shiro that he was getting kicked by his own legs. There was a lot of weight to each kick. Luckily for him, Keith ceased his assault almost as immediately as he started it. The unfortunate thing was, despite backing off the physical violence, Keith continued hovering over Shiro, arms crossed dauntingly. 

“Go sleep on the bed.” 

“The bed isn’t even that great —!” 

Shiro’s words were cut off by his shocked gasp as Keith lifted him off the cot and flung him onto the mattress. 

“Stay.” He said while raising a palm. Shiro laughed darkly. Only Keith would dare command him like a dog. But the act made Shiro’s blood boil. He wasn’t going to lose this —whatever this was. 

“Please Keith, my body isn’t fitting on that,” Shiro argued when Keith approached the smaller bed. “Are you really going to mistreat my body like that?” 

Keith paused, hesitating. 

“Why don’t you join me?” Shiro offered, ignoring all the parts of him starting to perspire at his proposal. “This bed has a Galran King-sized mattress. There’d be room for us both _ and _Kosmo.” 

“Wait... where _ is _ he anyways?” Keith turned to Shiro. The two had boarded the Lion with the space wolf trotting close behind, but Shiro couldn’t recall seeing him during their launch from the Atlas. 

“Maybe he’s grabbing a snack?” 

Keith paled at that. “I didn’t lock everything up. God, if he eats all our supplies I swear—” And then he was leaving the room. “I’ll be back! Don’t you dare move from that spot, Shiro.” 

Shiro raised his palms in surrender as Keith trotted out of the room. He laid down on the bed and tucked an arm under his head, waiting for Keith to return. Shiro couldn’t help his lips curling into a pleasant smile at the thought of Keith wrestling a big slab of ham out of his alien wolf’s mouth. He closed his eyes and let himself melt into the comforter beneath him, briefly wondering if Keith would truly join him or stubbornly lie on the cot. The cot made sense. Shiro’s initial argument about mistreating his body was irrelevant given that he had slept there while Keith and his mother shared the bed when they voyaged together in Black. Yet Shiro couldn’t help but take a shot, knowing Keith was the type who’d go above and beyond for his comfort. Despite the warmth in his cheeks, Shiro found himself dozing off to the hope that he’d feel a dip in the bed and another body radiate heat beside him.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the wait, and thank you for your patience!

Keith eyed Shiro carefully as he entered the bedroom once again. After tracking down his furry friend, who was (surprisingly) staying out of trouble and napping on some supply crates Keith had packed, he returned to the room, certain he’d find his lithe body sleeping on the cot. When that wasn’t the case, Keith hesitated. Did he do as Shiro so kindly asked him not to do, and mistreat his body by squeezing it onto the slightly ripped, concaved bedding? 

Or did he join Shiro on the mattress? 

_ God not again. _ Keith felt his embarrassment hit him like a physical wave. The heat that engulfed his cheeks made it harder for him to think. Keith found himself staggering to the bed, holding his breath, and trying his damnedest to lie on the mattress without waking the other. 

Luckily for Keith, as Shiro mentioned, the mattress was _ big. _ It was meant for an entirely different species. Despite his current body being quite large, Keith didn’t need to worry about invading Shiro’s personal space. His friend had left him plenty of room to lie down. 

Letting go of the breath he forgot he was holding, Keith allowed himself to get as comfortable as he could in the foreign body, and after a few minutes, Keith shut his eyes and fell asleep. 

*** 

When Keith woke up, the first thing he noticed was the lack of feeling in his right arm, and for a blissful moment, he thought maybe his space wolf companion fell asleep on it. Keith groaned as he tried to pull his arm free, and noticed that he moved his shoulder without restraint. Keith’s eyes begrudgingly opened, and he stared down the bionic arm hovering where his forearm should be. Keith’s brain took a moment to catch up with the situation. Once it did, Keith decided to turn away from the blue light of his borrowed prosthetic and try and steal a few more minutes of slumber. 

What Keith was met with instead of a wall was his own features staring back at him. 

But something was wrong. 

“Shiro?” Keith whispered. 

Shiro was breathing heavily. His eyes were wide and his hands shook as he lifted himself into a sitting position. 

“Shiro? What’s wrong?” 

“Who are you?” 

Keith froze at the question. Was he serious? 

“It’s me, Shiro. It’s Keith.” 

Shiro’s gaze was intense. Keith felt uncomfortable under the scrutiny of his friend. The look —the deep scowl and furrowed brows— was almost enough to convince Keith that he was lying. 

“We switched bodies, remember? Somehow...” Keith elaborated desperately. Shiro’s back was pressed against the wall. His neck shone with perspiration and his fringe clung to his forehead. Shiro’s knees were brought up to his chest and his hands were planted on the mattress. His stance exuded fight or flight, and Keith was not prepared to face either responses. 

Not now. Not again, and never in a million years. 

“Shiro... I’m in your body and you’re in mine.” 

Shiro blinked and glanced down at his right arm. Just like Keith, it seemed to take the other a moment to acknowledge that what had happened the day before wasn’t a dream. When Shiro supposedly came to that conclusion, his shoulders drooped and a heavy sigh escaped his lips. 

“Thought you were a clone...” he mumbled. Keith wasn’t certain if he was meant to hear those words. Shiro’s gaze was downcast. He crossed his legs and clenched and unclenched his right hand, eyes distant as he considered something out of Keith’s scope. 

Keith had no idea how to respond. It never occurred to him how shaken Shiro would react at the sight of himself. His clone bodies were a distant dream —they were thing of nightmares to Shiro. Where Keith faced several, Shiro only possessed the knowledge of their existence. 

“You okay?” Keith’s voice was the softest it’s ever been. He wanted to pull Shiro out of his dark thoughts without spooking him. 

“Yeah,” Shiro’s eyes continued staring past his clenched fist. 

Keith gently placed his hand on top. 

“Do you want to talk about it?” 

The prospect; _ your clones... _ hung heavy in the air. It was a topic both brushed over. There was so much going on, so much to do as leaders —neither dared mention it to the other in the past. 

“Not really,” Shiro confessed. 

A million thoughts ran through Keith’s head. Should they look for his clones? Were they all dead? Did any make it out alive? Are any in one piece? Were they trying to find Voltron the same way Shiro’s current clone body did? Are they lost and scared and wondering why they were deserted? 

Keith biggest question was how Shiro felt about them. Did he wish they were all dead? He knew they’d eventually talk about it —Keith realized just then that they had danced around the topic long enough— but for now he decided that it was for the best that they focus on one thing at a time. 

“Once we’re back in our own bodies, we should talk about it.” Keith squeezed Shiro’s hand for emphasis before letting go. The other finally looked up at him. Despite looking wounded, he nodded at Keith. And then, without any warning, Shiro pulled Keith into a tight hug. Keith’s borrowed heart hammered in his chest. Normally, his palms would grow a little clammy. _ Normally, _ his face would heat up and a bead of sweat would form beneath his fringe. 

But Keith wasn’t in his body. 

Keith wasn’t sure how he looked when the two pulled away. Shiro’s eyes seemed to scan his face, reading something Keith would never know. But before Keith could question the look his friend gave him, Shiro was moving to stand. 

“We should be there soon,” he explained. “It’s about five thirty AM.” 

“What should we do when we get back? To reverse this, I mean.” 

“I was thinking a race?” Shiro grinned —it was charming. Keith could never pull that off in his own body. 

“Sounds like a plan.” 

“For now, we need to report to the Garrison,” Shiro sighed. “They’re probably going to question our arrival.” 

“Blegh, paper work...” Keith scowled. “Why don’t we just sneak in and borrow the hoverbikes while they’re all asleep?” 

“Because it's _ theft _ without consent, Keith. Jeez, what year is this?” Shiro pinched Keith’s cheek, frown prominent as he removed his hand. “You’re not cute in my body.” 

“Then go pinch your own cheek.” 

Shiro restlessly combed back his fringe out of habit, revealing the small beads of sweat right at his hairline. He hastily feathered the strands back over his forehead and shook his head at something unknown to Keith. 

“Let’s go contact the Garrison before they shoot us down on accident,” Shiro huffed while heading out of the bedroom. 

Keith didn’t miss the other wiping down his palms as he exited the room. 

**Author's Note:**

> A big thank you to everyone who continues to read my stories and leave sweet comments. This fic is long overdue for those who went the extra step and supported me by treating me to a coffee ; w;
> 
> @Kroligane


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